Gabrius zhoui, Li & Schillhammer & Zhou, 2012

Li, Liang, Schillhammer, Harald & Zhou, Hong-Zhang, 2012, Taxonomy of the genus Gabrius Stephens, 1829 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Philonthina) from China, with description of two new species, Journal of Natural History 46 (15 - 16), pp. 955-967 : 956-958

Gabrius zhoui sp. nov.

( Figure 1A–F )

Type material

Holotype: male, China: Sichuan: Baoxing: Fengtongzhai , 7 June 1997, leg. Zhou Haisheng ( IZ-CAS) . Paratype: one female, Sichuan: same data as holotype ( IZ-CAS) .

Description

Head black, shining. Pronotum, elytra, scutellum and antennae reddish brown. Abdomen black with posterior margin of each tergite markedly reddish brown. Mandibles, maxillary and labial palpi and legs reddish brown.

Body 5.79–5.96 mm long (HPL = 1.63–1.71 mm). Head of rounded quadrangular shape, 0.73–0.82 mm long, 0.65 mm wide (HW:HL = 0.80–0.89). Tempora 0.33 mm long, almost evenly rounded, sparsely and coarsely punctate; eyes small, slightly protruding, 0.16–0.25 mm long, 0.50–0.75 times as long as tempora. Dorsal surface of head with scattered, large setiferous punctures along lateral sides, vertex largely impunctate; entire head with distinct and profound microsculpture of transverse waves. Antennae short, first segment long, slightly thickened towards apex, third segment slightly longer than second, fourth–fifth segments almost as long as wide, sixth–10th segments distinctly transverse, last segment longer than wide, obliquely truncated.

Pronotum slightly narrowed posteriad, 0.82–0.90 mm long, 0.82–0.90 mm wide, slightly wider than head (PW:HW = 1.25–1.38); dorsal rows each with six punctures, sublateral rows each with two punctures; microsculpture similar to that on head.

Elytra 0.98 mm long along sides, 1.14 mm wide, 1.09–1.20 times as long as pronotum, sparsely and largely punctate, punctures separated by 3–4 times their diameter. Scutellum large, triangular, sparsely and finely punctate and pubescent.

Abdomen slightly narrowed posteriad, widest 1.06–1.14 mm, finely and sparsely punctate, punctures separated by 5–6 times their diameter at base, gradually becoming sparser toward apex of each tergite; surface between punctures with exceedingly fine and dense microsculpture of transverse striae; tergites III–V with two basal lines, elevated area between basal lines almost impunctate.

Male. Sternite VIII with wide and shallow medioapical emargination ( Figure 1E ). Sternite IX largely membranous at medial portion, basal portion short and narrow, almost symmetrical, apical portion long with slightly emarginate, pubescent apex ( Figure 1D ). Tergite X simple, triangular, with subtruncated apex, bearing two long apical setae ( Figure 1F ).

Aedeagus moderately large; median lobe with apical portion evenly narrowed into obtusely acute apex ( Figure 1A ); in lateral view, apical portion of median lobe slightly bent dorsad ( Figure 1B ); paramere divided into two moderately wide and long branches, face adjacent to median lobe with sensory peg setae closely arranged along latero-apical margin of each branch ( Figure 1C ).

Female. Sternite VIII subrounded at apex, without medioapical emargination. Tergite X triangular, subrounded at apex.

Etymology

The species is named in honour of its collector Mr Zhou Haisheng.

Distribution

The species is at present known only from China (Sichuan).

Remarks

Gabrius zhoui sp. nov. is similar to G. submolestus Schillhammer, 2001 in having pronotum, elytra and antennae dark brown or reddish brown and abdomen black with posterior margin of each tergite reddish brown. Gabrius zhoui sp. nov. differs from G. submolestus by slightly wider apical portion of median lobe, narrower branches of paramere and many more sensory peg setae on underside of paramere.

Figures

Figure 1. Gabrius zhoui sp. nov. (A) aedeagus, ventral view; (B) median lobe of aedeagus (paramere removed), lateral view; (C) underside of paramere; (D) sternite IX of male; (E) sternite VIII of male; (F) tergite X of male. Scale bars 0.5 mm.